An ADMS (Advanced Distribution Management System) is an enterprise software solution that can provide utilities a broad range of smart grid applications including the ability to automate fault location, isolation, and system restoration.

Transitioning to an ADMS platform is a major decision for any organization. However, the decision to pursue smart technology to advance a utility company’s functions is an investment that will pay out for years to come in service reliability, customer satisfaction, and reduced costs in the long run.

If there is a power outage on a grid due to a fault in the power lines, many situations will find hundreds, if not thousands, of utility customers out of power regardless of where they are located on the network, with hours-long restoration estimates.

On the other hand, the right ADMS automatically detects the location of the fault, isolates it, and then reroutes the flow of energy to restore power to customers that are without power but are not in the immediate area of the fault. This process happens in less than a minute, keeping costs down and reducing CMI (customer minutes interrupted).

Recently, Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative in Live Oak, Florida, implemented an ADMS from ACS with the goal of automating their grid and boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of their utility company. Outages are unpredictable and it wasn’t long before SVEC faced their first fault challenge. On March 23, 2018, SVEC achieved their first successful automated restoration and kept energy flowing to hundreds of customers that would otherwise have been without power.

The decision to implement an ADMS system was driven by the organization’s drive for continuous improvement of service reliability and outage restoration times for its members. “It is satisfying to witness the FDIR portion of SVEC’s reliability plan improve service to our member owners,” shared Kurt Miller, Director of Engineering for SVEC. “SVEC is looking forward to completing systemwide FDIR in 2019 with Volt/Var optimization and peak demand management to follow in 2020,” said Miller.